Why stronger laws alone are not enough to end modern slavery

Efforts to combat modern slavery are failing to keep pace with a rapidly evolving crisis, our Founder Director Grace Forrest declared at the Oslo Freedom Forum, urging democracies and G20 nations to include stronger regulation with meaningful enforcement and worker and survivor leadership.

As the world’s largest economies and trading powers, G20 nations have both the capacity and responsibility to address exploitation in global supply chains, yet political urgency and accountability are falling short.

Grace joined advocates, policymakers, and worker leaders at the global gathering hosted by the Human Rights Foundation. Attendees examined why exploitation is evolving faster than efforts to stop it, despite greater awareness and legislative momentum.

The Ending Modern Slavery in Global Supply Chains panel saw Grace Forrest, Mahendra Pandey of Humanity United and founder of the Global Migrant Workers Network, and former New Zealand Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Saunoamaalii Dr Karanina Sumeo explore why modern slavery remains deeply embedded in the global economy.

Moderated by Ben Skinner of Transparentum, the panel covered the role workers and survivors must play in shaping solutions, and why accountability has become the missing piece in many anti-slavery responses.

Modern slavery is often treated as a problem on the edges of the global economy. The issue is embedded in many of the goods and services people use every day.

An estimated 50 million people are living in modern slavery worldwide, with more than half living in G20 countries.

Between the last Global Slavery Indexes, the number of people experiencing modern slavery increased by 10 million amid climate breakdown, conflict, and rising authoritarianism.

“Modern slavery is not a product of one political system. It exists across democracies and authoritarian regimes alike because too many systems still tolerate and profit from the conditions sustaining it,” Grace explains.

“The question is not only where exploitation occurs, but who benefits from it. Every day we buy products and use services without realising the hidden human cost behind them.”

Discussions highlighted the role global trade continues to play in sustaining exploitation.

G20 countries account for 85% of global trade and collectively import nearly half a trillion dollars’ worth of goods at risk of being produced with forced labour.

A key theme throughout the discussion was the need to shift power towards workers and survivors.
Mahendra Pandey highlighted the importance of worker engagement in decision-making and the vulnerability of migrant workers during crises.

“When we talk about how the system is working, we also need to talk about who made those systems, because they are being made by either corporations or governments without worker engagement,” Mahendra said.

“More than 90% of private workers in the Middle East and the Gulf are migrant workers. If anything happens, like conflict, disasters, COVID-19, those workers are on the frontline.”

Saunoamaalii Dr Karanina Sumeo described the financial pressures and exploitative practices experienced by migrant workers.

“I’ve seen payslips where people are in negative $300 after a week’s work. One of the things we called out for was this issue of deductions like health care and workers being charged for the tools they use for work,” Dr Karanina shared.

People with lived experience of exploitation should play a central role in designing, implementing, and evaluating modern slavery responses, instead of being consulted after decisions have been made.

“Ending modern slavery requires a fundamental shift in power. The strongest anti-slavery systems are those shaped by workers and survivors themselves, where people can organise, speak safely, and access remedy when harm occurs,” Grace added.

“Lived experience is not anecdotal evidence. It is expertise, and it should be embedded across legislative responses from design through to implementation and enforcement.”

A growing number of countries have introduced modern slavery legislation, but many laws still stop at transparency and reporting obligations.

“Legislative momentum has grown, but modern slavery is evolving faster than our laws, enforcement systems, and political responses,” Grace said.

“Transparency alone is not shifting the dial for workers. What will make a difference is moving from transparency to accountability through laws that require action, meaningful enforcement and consequences for non-compliance, and policies designed with workers and survivors at the centre.”

The discussion also highlighted the risks facing emerging industries. Many technologies marketed as the future continue to rely on longstanding patterns of labour exploitation.

This includes artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, to critical minerals and the energy transition.
Progress in addressing modern slavery will depend on confronting the systems enabling exploitation, strengthening accountability, and ensuring workers and survivors have a seat at the table.

“We need to look beyond our own sectors and recognise the intersections between our causes and challenges. Every person has a role to play in creating a world that genuinely respects justice and human dignity. This is our shared responsibility toward our shared humanity.”